As of Jan. 1, ComEd and Ameren are charging new electricity rates. Here’s our breakdown:
DELIVERY RATES
What are delivery rates?
Electric bills have two parts: delivery and supply. All of us pay delivery rates to cover the utilities’ costs of sending electricity over their wires to our homes–plus a profit for the companies. Those charges take up about a third to a half of the electric bill.
Over the past decade, Illinois has set electric delivery rates for ComEd and Ameren according to the state’s 2011 “Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act.” The law, which CUB opposed, used a formula to determine delivery rates, and it opened the door to multiple rate hikes, including ComEd’s $199 million increase and Ameren’s $61 million hike that both took effect Jan. 1.
In 2023, the state is launching a new system to set rates for the next four years. The new system–created by the landmark state energy law, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act–is designed to give state regulators more authority in rate cases. While this doesn’t mean the end of rate hikes, CUB and other consumer advocates will be involved in this new process, working to protect and maximize benefits for consumers.
So what are we paying for delivery rates in 2023?
CUB dived into the tariffs and here’s what we found. These rates reflect the delivery rate hikes that Ameren and ComEd received on Jan. 1.
Ameren:
Meter Charge: $5.22/month (formerly $4.76/month)
Note: Covers meter-related services, such as installing, maintaining and testing meter equipment.
Monthly Customer Charge: $5.57/month (formerly $6.45/month)
Note: Helps cover the utility’s administrative costs of doing business, such as billing, postage and customer assistance.
EDT Cost Recovery Charge: 0.13375¢/kWh (formerly 0.12484¢/kWh)
Note: This charge recovers the Illinois Electricity Distribution Tax and is the same for all customer classes.
Distribution Delivery Charge Summer: 6.008¢/kWh (formerly 5.550¢/kWh).
Distribution Delivery Charge Non-Summer:
3.517¢/kWh for the first 800 kWh used (formerly 3.249¢/kWh)
1.867¢/kWh for usage over 800 kWh (formerly 1.724¢/kWh)
Note: The Distribution Delivery Charge covers the costs of maintaining equipment/wires and other costs not recovered through the customer charge.
ComEd:
Standard Metering Charge: $3.10/month (formerly $3.40/month)
Note: Covers meter-related services, such as installing, maintaining, and testing meter equipment.
IL Electricity Distribution Charge: 0.132 cents/kilowatt-hour (kWh) (formerly 0.126¢/kWh)
Note: This charge recovers the Illinois Electricity Distribution Tax and is the same for all customer classes.
Monthly Customer Charge
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- Non-electric heat: $10.79/month for single-family homes (formerly $10.44/month), $8.06/month for multi-family (formerly $7.75/month)
- Electric heat: $12.23/month for single-family homes (formerly $11.95/month), $8.70/month for multi-family (formerly $8.43/month)
Note: Helps cover the utility’s administrative costs of doing business, such as billing, postage and customer assistance.
Distribution Facilities Charge
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- Non-electric heat: 4.065¢/kWh for single-family (formerly 3.926¢/kWh), 3.217¢/kWh for multi-family (formerly 3.155¢/kWh)
- Electric heat: 1.888¢/kWh for single-family (formerly 1.726¢/kWh), 1.827¢/kWh for multi-family (formerly 1.662¢/kWh)
Note: The Distribution Facilities Charge covers the costs of maintaining equipment/wires, and other costs not recovered through the customer charge.
SUPPLY RATES
What are supply rates?
Supply rates cover the costs of the actual electricity. Unlike delivery charges, the utilities are not allowed to profit off the supply rate. They must pass onto customers what they pay for the electricity with no markup. Supply takes up about a half to two-thirds of your electric bill.
Note: You can opt to pay an alternative supplier for these rates–but most likely your best bet is to stay with your utility for supply. According to the state of Illinois, consumers have lost more than $1 billion to alternative electricity suppliers since 2015.
So what are the utilities charging for supply as of Jan. 1?
The utilities’ supply rates have gone down slightly in 2023. These are the rates through May:
ComEd Price to Compare:
9.665¢/kWh (formerly: 9.765¢/kWh)
Ameren Price to Compare:
11.833¢/kWh for 0-800 kWh of usage (formerly 12.236¢/kWh)
9.374¢/kWh for usage above 800 kWh (formerly 9.777¢/kWh)
For information on how to reduce your electric bill, check out CUB’s Energy Efficiency page and reach out for a utility bill clinic consultation at [email protected].
